Opposites ➤ Johnny Storm

Chapter Eighteen

After the wedding was ruined and Johnny left after the mysterious figure, I lead Sue away from the wreckage to get her cleaned up. I grabbed some extra clothes to change out of my dress and met her in the living room.

We didn't speak, just sat waiting for Johnny to get back. Eventually Ben joined us and said the General would be coming over in a while to speak with Reed. I tried to figure out what Sue was thinking, but I couldn't decipher the emotions on her face. All I could tell was there was no trace of anything good.

Finally having enough of the tension Sue was emitting, I headed outside knowing she'll talk to me when she's ready. Johnny should be back soon and then we can figure out what our next step is. And when we get that figured out we could figure out what to do about the wedding.

But first we had to deal with whatever information Johnny was about to share as he came flying into the living room. He reeked of ash, his face was smudged with dirt, and there was a tired look in his eyes giving away how his mission went. If our friendship wasn't up in the air, I would go to check on him. Instead I watch as Sue walks up to grab him before he waves her off.

Maybe we should have checked him out because he sounds like he has brain damage of some sort. "It looked like a man, but completely covered in silver, and it flew this, like...surfboard-type thing. I know that sounds crazy."

And Ben was certainly letting him know just how crazy he sounded. "Oh, no, not at all. Did you follow the shiny man to Lollipop Land or the Rainbow Junction?"

"I know what I saw."

"We believe you, Johnny. It's just a little strange, even for us." I tried to sound understanding and comforting, but the unchanging look on his face made me fear it came across condescending.

I refocused on the mysterious figure instead of my failing friendship. Listening to Reed, I was finally able to start connecting all the things that have been happening recently. "Whatever this thing is, it has the ability to convert matter and energy."

"So it caused the anomalies?" The question caused Reed and I to share a look before we both went into scientist mode. Describing to the others what it seems we were going up against.

"It seems to radiate cosmic energy when it exerts itself randomly affecting matter."

"Evidently, this entity, this...Silver Surfer...didn't want to be detected. It destroyed the sensor."

"It knew it was being monitored."

"And traced it back here."

"We're dealing with something highly resourceful."

The whole room was quiet as the realization that this silver surfer thing was smart enough to know what we were doing to stop him. As it sunk in, I took a moment to look around the room at my family. Reed looks incredibly focused while Ben looks upset by the thought. Sue seemed honestly uninterested, as her wedding was ruined, but she wasn't the Storm that I was looking at.

Johnny was off. I know him well enough to know that there was something wrong. The look in his eyes was distant and held an unfamiliar exhaustion. His shoulders were slumped and the rest of his body language showed a fatigue that doesn't belong anywhere near him. I took a step towards him before stopping and speaking from where I am. "Are you feeling okay?"

He looked up at my soft voice and tried to give me a smile. And by try, I mean I saw right through his weak attempt to reassure me he's okay. It's been too long and we're too close that he can lie to me. Yet he still tries. "Yeah. I just....I gotta walk this off."

So he did. And I let him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was right. There was something wrong with Johnny. And it wasn't about some girl or our distance, it was an effect of his encounter with the surfer.

After he switched powers with Sue, we ran tests. Lots of test. Every test we thought could help and some we knew wouldn't. And what we found...it wasn't good.

"All of Sue's results are normal. But Johnny's...."

"Johnny's are what?" As Reed paused, Johnny looked to me for answers. It wasn't the end of the world, but this wasn't going to be easy to handle. And it was my job to tell him that this was serious because it meant we were at risk to switch powers anytime now.

So he looked in my eyes and I started to tell him how difficult this was going to be. That soon he would be deprived of something as simple as human touch by the people he loves for the foreseeable future. "Your encounter with the surfer put your molecules in a constant state of flux."

"Is that bad?"

"It caused you to temporarily switch powers with Sue. I'd like to run more tests and-"

"Want a volunteer?" Of course, Ben wasn't taking this seriously. Whether it was because he thought it was a joke or he was trying to reassure Johnny I don't know. But it did make me feel better, seeing how this wasn't the end of the world. At least not yet as my "older" brother chased my best friend and tried to switch their powers.

"No, no, hey! No, no, hey! This is serious!"

"I just wanted to give him a hug."

All three of the guys got involved while Sue stood by unimpressed. I personally was starting to feel better for the first time in a week or so. "We don't know the extent of his condition. It could be progressive."

"It could be fun."

"No, Ben!" As the words left his mouth, Ben got his hand on Johnny's arm. And almost instantly their powers were switched, but this time it was more evident as Johnny Storm was transformed into the Thing.

"Hey. Hey, it's me! I'm back!" Ben looked exactly the same as he did before the trip to space. It was refreshing to see my brother like that, but it was even better to see Johnny Storm turned to rock. And it brought a real laugh to my lips and I felt like I was seeing the sun for the first time after an eternity of winter.

So I let myself laugh and ignore what was happening as I tried to forget the ground was shifting beneath my feet. I wasn't focused on all the little things that together were making my world unrecognizable.

Of course this was short lived as Ben decided to throw a fireball at Johnny. It was finally at the point where I should step in. Based on past experiences, there is no way these two can resolve this alone.

"Ben, stop it!" I walked towards him to try and stand between them. Not always the best plan, but putting myself in harm's way tends to cause them to stop trying to smash or flambé the other.

"I see why you like that." Johnny reached around me to touch Ben and switch their powers back. While it was nice seeing him back in the flesh, I was incredibly relieved when Ben was back to normal.

"That's not funny. What am l supposed to do in the meantime?"

"Just try to keep your distance from us." Reed's words made Johnny flinch; it was small but noticeable how he didn't like that he was practically a danger to us. There was nothing he could do to stop this and that seemed to be wearing him down.

And as I watched him walk away, defeated, I felt just as helpless as him. I don't know how to fix the power switching, I don't know how to make him feel better, and I don't know how to repair the damage to the most important relationship I have. Considering I am basically a genius, there is nothing I hate more than not knowing how to solve a problem.

I have a lot of work ahead of me, so I moved towards the lab, smiling softly as my brother's words sounded throughout the room. "You and me are gonna be spending a whole lot of time together, pal!"